Question

【題目】閱讀理解。

We already know the fastest,least expensive way to slow down climate change:use less energy.With a little effort,and not much money,most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.

Not long ago,my wife,PJ,and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change.Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago,and that the consequences(后果)could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emission(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.

We decided to try an experiment.For one month we recorded our personal emission of CO2.We wanted to see how much we could cut back,so we went on a strict diet.The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common things like turning on air conditioning or driving cars.That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average,mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses.But how much should we try to reduce?

For an answer,I checked with Tim Flannery,author of The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth.In his book,he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emission to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points,such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica.“To stay below that point,we need to reduce CO2 emission by 80 percent,”he said.

Good advice,I thought.I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind.We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock.I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened.We should not let this happen again.It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.

【1】Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?

A.To take special kinds of food.

B.To respond to climate change.

C.To lose weight.

D.To improve their health.

【2】The underlined words“tipping points”most probably refer to “ ”.

A.freezing points B.burning points

C.melting points D.boiling points

【3】According to the passage,Tim Flannery .

A.made deep cuts in his personal emission of CO2

B.wrote a book about the climate changes

C.succeeded in reducing CO2 emission by 80 percent

D.was an author popular among readers

【4】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A.Saving Energy Starts at Home

B.Changing Our Habits Begins at Work

C.Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable

D.Reducing Emission of CO2 Proves Difficult

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】C

【3】B

【4】A

【解析】

試題解析:

【1】根據(jù)文章第二段中的“not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change”可知,作者和妻子這么做的目的是回答一個令人煩惱的氣候變化問題。

【2】在他的書中,他要讀者大幅減少個人溫室氣體排放量,以免世界來到“熔點(diǎn)”,下面給出的例子“such as the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica”,可以判斷出C項(xiàng)正確。

【3】根據(jù)文章第四段可知,Tim Flannery的書The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth是有關(guān)氣候變化的,故B項(xiàng)正確。A、C兩項(xiàng)都是Tim Flannery書中的觀點(diǎn),而非他自己做到的事情;D項(xiàng)文中沒有提及。

【4】作者通過講述自己一家人切實(shí)有效地減少溫室氣體排放量的行動,向我們證明了“節(jié)約能源從家庭做起,從我做起”,故A項(xiàng)正確。